Knitting method



Jan. 3, 1939;

J. L. sEMM` KNITTING NMSTHODA Original Filed April 2, 1937 Zizwenzzof Jean amanZZem Qm'f,

lli.

lPatented Jan. 3, 1939 l Jean Lamont Stemm, New York,1N. Y., assignor to Wm. H. Horstmann Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application April 2,. 1937, Serial No.

Divided and this 30, 1938, Serial No. 199,009.

.application March s claims. y(el. is-i) 'I'his invention relates to a knitting gauge pattern adapted for the forming of tubular and other-shaped garments by knitting, crocheting. etc. This is a division of my coi-pending applica- 6 tion, Serial No. 134,631, for Knitting gauge pattern, filed April 2, 1937. i

It is a well-known practice to provide patterns for the forming of garments from various types of fabrics. Also, patterns have been developed l for forming the perlpheralline of crocheted garments. All of such prior patterns, however, have delineated only the outer peripheral edg of the piece to be fitted into the garment. The use of seams compensated for slight rrors.

In knitting, and particularly in knitting tubular garments, there are new problems which such prior patterns do not solve and which render them of very little value. In the first place, the tubular knitted garment affords no seams by 20 which irregularities in knitting can be overcome. The irregularities are inevitable. yet the only course under such prior patterns is for the kn'ittcr .to rip out a portion of the knitting when it is not true to thepattern line and'reknit.

25 In the art of knitting, it is not so much the making of stitches which is diflicult, it is the error which creeps in in following changes of pattern and changes of stitches as well as failure to follow the number of jrows, etc. which the 30 pattern calls for. In the making of hand-knitted garments, variance is always present due to` different tension of the yarns used by different knitters and, in fact, by the same knitters at different times. Also, changes of yarn, needles, etc. often 35 producea difference in the knitting.

I have discovered that by utilizing the stretch allowance of` a knitted garment in blocking that even though errors are made andl even though the-knitting is irregular within certain limits, a

40 uniform and form-fitting -garment can be produced while at the same time requiring very little ripping out -and reknitting.

In the single gure of the drawing is shown a sheet A upon which appears a dotted lineA I0 45 indicating the line to which the skirt is knitted.

dotted lines In', the' immer would be confrontedimmediately with the question as to whether-the knitting should be ripped out and reknitted. I

have found that such irregularities can be taken care of completely by the use ofa blocking stretch In blocking, A

line. indicated by the numeral Il. the goods can be stretched a certain distance Without affecting the appearance of the garment,

and I utilize this stretch allowance to bring the the skirt is pinned to the outer black line il.'`

The garment will stretch sufficiently to allow this lll to be readily accomplished. lihot iron is then used as in the usual manner to firmly block the skirt, with the result that the completed skirt is uniform in size and contour and the stitches therein are of substantially uniform size.` Thus all lthe irregularities which formerly .appeared causing. the edges of the skirt to form a waved line extending between the dotted line i0 and blocking line ll now disappear and jthe contour l of the skirt is now even and uniform.

What'has beeni accomplished by the blockingl stretch allowance, as just described, can as readily be accomplished by the shrink allowance line. In other words, should it be desired to shrink the knitted garment to a definite contour, as indicated by the dot and dash line I2, all the irregularities between the lines I0 and l2 can be readily taken up when the edge ofthe garment is ,pinned to the dot and dash line l2 and a hot iron is used to set or block thelgarmcnt.

Instructions as to the number of stitches, etc. appear on the sheet at exactly the points where the changes occur. In other words, some of the instructions will be spaced closely apart while others willJ bespaced widely apart, depending upon the contour of the garment. A scale extends through the longitudinal center of the pattern.

In the operation of the device, the knitter follows the instructions which appear on the pattern itself and which indicate the changes in stitches, etc. as the knitting progresses. As the waved or irregular knitting line is for-ined.A the knitter can by placing the garment upon the pattern observe whether the irregularities are such as can be corrected by blocking. v'Should the irregularities exceed the limits, the knitting at that particular point can be ripped out and reknit. Should the irregularities be within the blocking or shrinking allowance lines, the knitter will know that such irregularities can be readily corrected in the blocking or shrinking operations and that there is no need for ripping out and reknitting in such instances. By this means, 'it is possible for a knitter to form a garment with much greater speed andvwith much less reknitting while at the same time being always certain that the final product will be uniform and even in contour and without excessive stretching of the stitches. I

They gauge pattern is simple, easy to follow, and renders a tremendous saving in time and effort and results in much greater certainty than heretofore attained with prior patterns.

summarizing, in the improved method of forming a hand knitted garment, I first knit the garment to bring the peripheral edges thereof within the two pattern lines on the paper sheet when the garment is placed on the sheet, then I treat the material after the knitting is completed so as to cause it to conform to one of the lines. Such treating may be in the nature of stretching the garment after the knitting is complete and pinning the periphery of the garment to one of the lines, and then ironing or otherwise setting the garment in this position.

The invention is particularly useful in connection with knitting and crocheting, although it obviously may be applicable to other uses and it will be understood that the use of the word knitting, as used in the appended claims, is in its broad sense, including crocheting, etc., as well as what is known specifically as knitting.

In vthe drawing, the points where changes in the stitches occur are indicated by a number of crosses extending in spaced relation adjacent the dotted knitting line l0. In alignment with two of the crosses are work instructions. The workinstructions which normally appear in line with the other crosses have been omitted from the drawing for the purpose of clarity.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be the stretch allowance for said knitted garment being defined by the space between said lines, and treating the material after the knitting is completed to cause the material to conform to one of the lines.

-2. A method of forming a hand-knitted garment, comprising: knitting the garment to bring the periphery thereof within two pattern lines on a paper sheet when the garment is placed thereon, the space between said -lines defining' the stretch allowance of the knitted garment, stretching the garment after the knitting is completed and pinning the periphery thereof to the outermost of said lines, and then ironing the garment in this position.

3. A method of forming a hand-knitted garment, comprising: providing a flexible sheet larger than the garment to be knitted with at least two garment pattern lines spaced from each other, the space4 between the lines defining substantially the stretch allowance of the knitted garment, knitting the garment to bring the pe- JEAN LAMONT S'I'EMM.

cause it to conform to 

